The Forbidden Labyrinth
by Damons-Dark-Wolf
Summary: Damon, the Vampire King, will stop at nothing to claim Elena after she accidentally wishes away her boyfriend, Stefan. Can she solve his labyrinth, or will she become his Queen of Darkness forever? This fanfic is inspired by The Vampire Diaries universe (books and tv), The Forbidden Game series (also by L. J. Smith), and by Labyrinth (starring David Bowie). Please give it a chance!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! I'm back!**

 **This story is inspired by _The Vampire Diaries_ (book and tv show), _The Forbidden Game,_ and _Labyrinth_. If you like the story, please, please, please leave reviews! I depend on reviews to act as the fuel for my drive to continue to write!**

PS… Yes, Damon Salvatore is the Vampire King. In this story, for the sake of the storyline, he and Stefan are NOT related.

 **So without further ado, the story begins…**

 _The story begins long ago, when vampires ruled the land. Mercilessly they had hunted and killed humans, enjoying the thrill of the hunt and allowing their bloodlust to take over. Among these creatures, a leader arose. His eyes were said to be the color of ice and his hair the color of his soul, black. This leader relished in the act of killing humans, to the point that he thought it a game. That is, until a large coven of witches came out of hiding. Together, their powers united to banish the vampires to another dimension, separate from this one so they cannot hurt humans anymore. It's said this leader picked off any vampires who dared defy him, and because of his strength, he has certain powers. Even so, he is still bound by certain traditions, and so he cannot enter this world without an invitation, which is made in the form of someone wishing away someone else._

 _They say he is waiting from his realm to find his Queen of Darkness, and that she is a mere mortal bound to this world. He cannot claim her until she is either wished away or she wishes someone else away, which would present the opportunity for him to take her._

Elena stormed into the house, her hair flowing wildly behind her as she made her way through the house, pulling off her jewelry and various accessories as she did so. She was so angry and embarrassed; she really hoped Stefan wouldn't follow her in tonight, not after what he did… Or perhaps what he _didn't_ do would be the better way to put it.

 **How could he?** Elena thought to herself, **Stefan knew how much this event meant to me!**

As Elena stood in the kitchen, she heard the front door open and close, followed by the sound of quick moving footsteps making their way into the kitchen.

"Elena, I'm-" Stefan began, but was interrupted by the red-faced Elena. Her brown hair swinging in all directions as she quickly spun around to face him.

"No, Stefan! I don't wanna hear it! You knew how much this event meant to me! To my mother!"

Stefan's mouth tightened into a straight line as he stood taller in his suit and tie.

"Elena, you know-"

"Yea, yea, you don't dance. Well, guess what! Everyone else and their date were dancing! Everyone was dancing except you and I! Do you know how embarrassing that was for me?!"

Stefan dropped his head in regret, for he had known very well that this event was very special to Elena. How could he have done this to her?

Elena, for some odd reason, suddenly remembered that old tale that was told by kids in the schoolyard at recess.

"You know what, Stefan? I'm so mad at you right now, that I wish the Vampire King would just get his ass over here to take you far away from me!"

Stefan lifted his head suddenly, and met Elena's angry brown eyes. Lightening flashed outside as the lights in the house suddenly went out, plunging them into darkness. Another flash of lightening and Elena noticed Stefan was no longer in the room with her.

"Stefan?"

Elena's heart sped up as she remembered that there was no chance of rain, so there shouldn't be any lightening. **Where could he have gone? Did something happen to him?**

"Stefan?!" Elena called out again, her voice cracking slightly with worry.

Suddenly, within the dark depths of her home Elena heard the sound of wings flapping and vicious snarling. Now, Elena was afraid; not only for herself, but also for her boyfriend, Stefan.

Elena quickly turned around as she heard a loud tapping sound coming from the sliding glass door behind her in the kitchen. A large black bird, a raven, was pecking at the glass, attempting to get inside.

Another flash of lightening and a strong gust of wind made its way into the house as the sliding glass door opened rapidly, the raven flying in and just missing Elena's head as she ducked out of the way, her arms up to protect her face.

What Elena saw next truly terrified her. A man, clad all in black, with matching black messy hair, and ice-cold blue eyes, stood in the doorway. A smirk formed on this dangerously beautiful man as he continued to watch Elena. His head tilted to the side as he stood there, just beyond the threshold. His eyes drifted down, breaking eye contact for the first time and granting Elena the chance to release the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. His eyes made their way back to capture hers once more, one eyebrow of his lifting as he slowly lifted one foot and stepped over the threshold into her kitchen.

"Who are you? Why are you in my house?! Get out, now!"

Elena was surprised that she was able to find her voice, but the man continued to take slow, calculated steps toward her, that smirk still glued to his face.

"Elena…"

"How do you know my name?" Elena whispered. "And where's Stefan?"

The man raised an eyebrow at her, "Oh, Elena… You can forget about him now. I'm here. No need to worry over the little things."

The man was in front of her now, and he slowly reached for her hair, brushing a strand from her face before she could register what he was doing. When Elena came to she quickly brushed his hand away and took a step away from him.

"Answer my questions!" Elena spoke firmly, stomping her foot and raising her head to let him know she's not intimidated and she means business.

The man sighed and looked away from her for a moment, before capturing her gaze once more.

"I simply did what you asked of me, Elena. You wished for me to, and I quote, 'get my ass over here'. So, I came and took him. As for knowing your name… Let's just say I've been watching you for a very long time, Elena. I've been waiting for this moment, or for someone to wish you away."

Elena's face paled, she felt cold as realization dawned on her.

"But… That would mean… No, you can't be! That's just a story us kids told one another in grade school at recess to scare each other!"

The man smirked at her, even his eyes seemed to be smirking.

"Is it really?"

Elena's fear only grew as the man, no, Vampire King, revealed his true face to her. His eyes grew bloodshot, which only served to amplify the striking cold color of his eyes, and grew veins snaked their way beneath his eyes, while sharp fangs descended in his mouth.

"No need to fear me, Elena." The Vampire King spoke as his features returned to 'normal'. "I'm not going to hurt you, Princess. Stefan, on the other hand… I can't decide what I'm going to do with him."

Elena sucked in a breath at the mention of Stefan, and she now worried immensely for his safety. She got him into this mess for crying out loud!

"Hmmm… Should I turn him into one of my minions? Oooorrrr, I could just… Eat him." His eyebrows rose and fell in rapid succession as he spoke the last part.

"NO! Don't hurt him, please! I'll do anything! I didn't mean what I had said!"

"Oh, I'm sure you didn't… Regardless, you said a wish out loud. Whether you meant it or not, doesn't matter. Words have power, Elena, as well as consequences. Your words gave me the right to not only take him, but also to do whatever the hell I want with him. I'm a vampire, I've gotta eat!"

"NO! Take me instead!" Elena pleaded desperately.

"A tempting offer… However, that would be against the rules. Believe it or not, even as a King I am still bound to certain rules… However, if you want to save him, I am allowed to offer you the opportunity. It won't be easy, though. I just hope you're good at solving puzzles."

"Whatever it is, I'll do it. I have to. I got him into this mess; it's my responsibility to get him out." Elena spoke confidently.

Damon laughed softly, "How about a Labyrinth? In which the only way to move within it is to solve riddles. Answer correctly, and you will move in the right direction. Answer incorrectly, and you'll face dangers untold… Or, perhaps you'll just be sent in the wrong direction… And, you can only make three wrong choices before you automatically lose."

"Why even offer this? Not that I'm not grateful for the opportunity, but I am a little confused. What do you get out of this?"

The Vampire King looked her in the eyes with a cunning expression on his face, and his arms folded across his chest.

"Because, my dear, sweet, Elena… Every game has a prize…"

Elena gasped, the situation dawning on her fully for the first time. She didn't notice the Vampire King as he made his way behind her until her gently, but firmly, grasped her shoulders. He lowered his head so as to whisper in her ear.

"If you can solve the Labyrinth by, let's say, dawn, there will be a door that will allow entry back into this world. If you don't, you will be mine forever and Stefan will be your first meal…"

Elena closed her eyes tightly, tears beginning to spill over, as she felt his hands move from her shoulders down to her sides. She nodded her head in agreement to the challenge, unable to find her voice at the moment.

"Oh, and Elena? I always win… No matter the cost…"

Elena's eyes shot open then, and she sucked in her breath as she realized that there may be no way out of this for her and Stefan. But that didn't mean she would give up without a fight. She stiffened up as she felt his grip on her tighten, and she closed her eyes as a vigorous wind blew all around her, and she heard the rapid flapping of wings. She knew what this meant… The Vampire King was taking her to his realm to play the game… And she had just agreed to play with the devil…

 **Whatcha guys think? Should I continue? Any suggestions? Things you liked or didn't like? Please, please, please leave reviews if you want me to continue the story! Thank you so much for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **Hey! I know I haven't gotten many reviews yet, but I'm hoping for more if I write another chapter. I enjoy writing, and I am trying to use fanfiction to practice my writing skills.**

 **Anyway, here's the story.**

Elena opened her eyes slowly as the wind died down and the sound of wings flapping dissipated. She no longer felt those strong arms holding on to her, but she knew he hadn't left yet; she could still feel his intense presence nearby. **Of course… Why would he allow his 'intended prize' to leave his sight?** Elena thought to herself.

However, she took advantage of the moment he left her side for, and took in her surroundings. She noted the desolate appearance of the land, the dead trees and dried up ground reminding her of when Scar reigned over the Pridelands in _The Lion King._ She listened, and heard no other sounds other than her breathing and the slowly approaching footsteps coming behind her.

"Quite the shithole, I know. But, hey, we had no say in where those pesky witches sent us off to." The Vampire King shrugged as he approached her with an air of nonchalance.

Elena slowly turned to face the approaching vampire, "Maybe, if you hadn't killed people then you wouldn't be here."

The Vampire King raised a brow in response, "Well, for your information, vampires MUST drink blood in order to survive."

"But that doesn't mean you had to kill!"

The Vampire King jerked his head back and scrunched his face, "Where's the fun in that?"

Elena let out a frustrated sigh, as she obviously was getting nowhere with this guy. He had his views of what happened and obviously wasn't going to change.

The silence that followed was deafening, to both human and vampire, as they stood across from one another. The Vampire King never took his eyes off the human girl, and took the opportunity to give her a good once over.

"Well, I suppose we should get to it then…" The Vampire King stated, causing Elena to look up to meet his icy gaze.

"If you look behind you, you'll see the labyrinth there at the bottom of the hill. Remember, to advance through it, you must correctly solve riddles… If you answer wrong, you'll face the consequences… And don't forget… You only get three strikes and then you're mine…"

Elena held her ground as the Vampire King closed the distance between them and reached for her face to gently stroke her cheek. She fought back the tears that threatened to spill over at any moment. The Vampire King's expression gave a sense of sympathy as he slowly stroked her cheek.

He sighed as he raised his hand to stroke her cheek once more, "You know," he started quietly, just above a whisper, "This could all be avoided…"

Elena looked up and met his gaze, forgetting momentarily about his hand that stopped moving and was simply touching her cheek now. Her face contorted in confusion at his statement.

"Just surrender to me, Elena. Be my Queen and you'll be spared from having to deal with this silly game."

Elena couldn't believe he had just said that to her.

"But, that would mean that Stefan would die, wouldn't it?"

The Vampire King nodded his head, "Well, of course. Gotta eliminate my competition somehow…"

Elena reached up and slapped his hand from her face then, not caring that she earned an angered look from the Vampire King for defying him.

"NO. Not if it means losing Stefan. Not if it means he has to die."

The Vampire King's expression turned hard then, his arms crossing and his stance displaying nothing but power and confidence.

"I don't think you realize, Elena… I'm going to have you in the end. Yes, I'm giving you a 'sporting chance', but that means nothing… By hook or by crook, you WILL be mine!"

Elena lifted her chin in defiance, attempting to hide the fear that was growing in her.

"Over my dead body."

"That can be arranged," started the Vampire King, "seeing as you're going to be turned into a vampire anyway… Why not make it happen sooner?"

Elena decided to turn and run then, her legs carrying her as quickly as they could manage. She ran down the hill towards the foreboding labyrinth.

"You're merely prolonging the inevitable, Elena! Accept your fate!"

Elena ran faster as he yelled out his warning to her. **This can't be happening!** Elena thought to herself.

Elena reached the labyrinth, but couldn't see any entrance. She heard a whooshing sound behind her, but figured it to be the wind.

"How am I supposed to solve this damn thing if I can't even enter it!"

"You're at the entrance." Elena shrieked as she heard the Vampire King speak behind her. "You just have to solve the first riddle in order to enter."

Elena turned and looked at him, "And what would the riddle be?"

The Vampire King cocked his head to the side, as if in thought.

"Hmmm, I guess I'll start you off easy… A plane crashes directly on the border of the US and Canada. Where do they bury the survivors?"

The Vampire King smirked; he held his hands behind his back as he leaned in towards Elena as he awaited her answer.

Elena took a moment to think about the answer, playing the riddle over in her head. She didn't want to risk getting her first strike before even starting the labyrinth.

"I'll repeat it… A plane crashes directly on the border of the US and Canada. Where do they bury the survivors?"

Elena looked up at him, "You don't bury survivors…"

The Vampire King looked pleased, maybe… He extended his arm towards the labyrinth, and Elena watched as the stones parted and moved, forming an entryway into the labyrinth.

Elena began to walk towards the entrance, when she heard him speak from behind her, "From here on out, the riddles will only get harder… Oh, and you can call me Damon…"

 **Whatcha think? Please leave reviews if you want me to continue!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much to everyone who has left reviews so far! They mean the world to me! I will try my best to update as often as I can. Honestly, I'm not that great at riddles, so all the ones featured here will have been found on the internet.**

Elena heard the entrance close behind her, and she knew then that she was pretty much stuck in this labyrinth from now on. She looked to her left, and then to her right, trying to decide which direction to head in first. Something deep inside her told her to go right, and so she did. Her brown hair blew wildly behind her as she marched her way through the labyrinth, looking for the next available route to try.

It took a few minutes, but she did eventually come across a doorway; locked of course. She looked beside the door and found a note stuck there. **Let me guess, the next riddle?** Elena picked it up and carefully opened the note to read it.

It said:

" _Feed me and I will live, but give me a drink and I will die. What am I?"_

Elena scrunched her eyebrows as she read the riddle. **Wait, what? What can be fed, but can't be given a drink?** She has to be careful; it's too soon to be getting strikes already. Suddenly, an image popped into Elena's mind of a campfire she and her friends had gone to. They had to 'feed' it wood in order for it to continue, but if you pour water onto a fire, it will go out…

She looked up at the doorway then and smiled, "Fire. The answer is fire." The doorway opened and Elena walked through, continuing her mission of a march through the labyrinth. **That's it. One step closer to finding Stefan and getting the heck outta here! Just don't rush through any riddles; take your time and think them through, even if they seem obvious.** She thought to herself as she marched in search of the next doorway and riddle.

But, in her focused state, she failed to notice the large black raven that perched atop the stone wall of the labyrinth. It quietly watched her, and had been doing so since she came upon that first riddle within the labyrinth. This is no ordinary raven, however. It has icy blue eyes, and a pearlescent shine to its feathers.

Inside the Vampire King's castle, all was quiet. Damon sat upon his throne, his eyes shut tightly as he watched Elena through the eyes of his raven. Part of him wanted to root for her, but most of him wanted her to get those three strikes so he would have the right to keep her for himself. She knew the consequences when she agreed to the game, but she didn't quite grasp how far he is willing to go in order to claim her as his.

Damon's eyes opened, his connection from the raven breaking for the time being as it flies to catch up with her progress. He took the moment to look around his throne room and observe his 'minions' as he likes to call them. There were vampires all over the room, some were drinking alcohol, some were enjoying some blood bags that he managed to sneak when he went into the human world, some were making out, and others just stared at him, patiently waiting for his next command. Or maybe they were just waiting for permission to eat the human boy who sat nervously in the center of the room.

"She's going to win, you know."

Damon looked down at the human when he heard those words being spat in his direction. He smirked and raised a brow at the boy.

"Oh, really? And what, _Stefan_ , makes you think that?" He leaned forward and spat the humans' name in an attempt to instill more fear. **Humans taste better when they're full of fear**.

"She loves me."

Damon's face grew rigid for a moment, his gaze seeming to go right through Stefan, before he suddenly lashed out in rage. Faster than a lightning strike, Damon sped forward and grabbed Stefan by the throat and held him against the wall of the throne room. The other vampires stopped what they were doing to see what events would play out next.

Damon's face contorted as his vampire features crawled their way to the surface, "I should just kill you now and end all this…" Damon seethed, "There's no way you're making it out of this alive, anyway. I'll make sure of that."

"T-then… W-wh-why… P-pro…long…" Stefan choked out, barely able to breathe, let alone speak, with Damon's vice-like grip on his throat.

Damon turned his head and raised his brows, then turned back to the human boy. "Hello? Vampire… Gotta have fun with the live ones while they're here… We don't get too many of them very often around here…"

The other vampires laughed at Damon's remarks, nodding their heads in agreement. They couldn't wait to sink their fangs into the human, but wouldn't dare go near him without permission from their king.

Damon sighed and then released his grip on Stefan, allowing him to fall and hit the floor. The impact must've hurt, because he didn't stand up right away. Or, perhaps he was afraid of triggering a response from the vampires that had their eyes glued on him. Regardless, Damon nonchalantly strolled back to his throne where he plopped back down, only to return a deadly gaze to Stefan. **If only looks really** _ **could**_ **kill…**

Stefan slowly moved, taking his time to get up off the floor. He looked to Damon, "What do you want with Elena anyways?"

Damon tilted his head, "I want HER. As MINE. And she WILL be mine. In fact, she's going to be Queen!"

"No, she won't do it!" Stefan shook his head as the Vampire King grinned wickedly.

"Oh, yes she will. Even if I have to compel her, or find some other way to force her hand, she WILL BE MINE! By hook or by crook, as I already told her… There's no way out of this for her, or you… She was meant to be MINE!" The Vampire King's face briefly contorted to its' vampiristic form as he shouted at the mere human, Stefan. "And if you think I'm going to let her just walk out that door with you…" Stefan's face contorted in confusion at the statement.

"What door?"

"Oh, I forgot to mention that a door will appear at dawn. It leads back to your world; the human world. But neither of you will be going through it… I won't allow it." Damon crossed his arms as he stood up tall and stared down at Stefan.

Stefan heard a growling noise coming from behind Damon, who merely glanced over his shoulder as a large black wolf appeared beside him. He reached down and patted the enormous animals' head as it continued to snarl at Stefan.

"He won't allow you to leave either…" Damon smirked as fear made itself apparent on the humans' face.

Suddenly, Damon looked up towards the ceiling, then lowered his gaze back to the human. "I'll be right back… Elena's reached the next checkpoint. Gotta keep an eye on my prize…"

Stefan watched as Damon sped to his throne just as his eyes closed, signaling that he was once again connected to the raven following Elena through the labyrinth. Stefan prayed for her sake, even though she was mad at him, he knows she would never have said those words had she known that the Vampire King was not just a myth. He could only hope and pray that something would come along and get them both out of this mess.

 **Whatcha guys think? We got a peek into the castle in this chapter. If you like it, please review! I really appreciate them!**

 **If you have any suggestions for riddles (and answers, or even false answers), let me know! I'm open to suggestions!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **Hey everyone! Thanks to all who left reviews!**

 **I was unaware that the chapter uploaded so weirdly, I am not sure what happened. I apologize for any confusion or concern it may have caused.**

 **I can't say exactly how often I will be updating, because I have two family members in hospice (a great aunt, 87, with advanced cancer; and a cousin, 60's, with liver cancer). Depending on how things play out, I will try to update as often as I can. If I go quiet for an extended period of time, it is either writer's block or something happened to one or both of my family members.**

 **Anyway, on to the story!**

Elena arrived to the next doorway, feeling good about herself; but she remained cautious. She knew the labyrinth was far from over, and it was not just her freedom on the line, but her boyfriends' life. So far, the labyrinth has been easy to navigate, with obstacles being fairly nonexistent aside from a few random tree branches on the ground. But Elena highly doubted that things would remain this way.

She prepared herself by taking a few calming breaths before reaching for the note beside the doorway. The note said:

" _A man leaves home on foot. He turns left three times and returns home._

 _Who was the man in the mask?"_

 **What? What man in the mask? Where did he come from? This is like trying to understand a word problem from math class!**

Elena's brows furrowed in frustration, trying to understand the riddle. She read it to herself quietly, over and over again. **This one doesn't make any sense!**

Elena looked up to the doorway, and shakily spoke, "A burglar?"

Elena hesitated as she heard noises behind the doorway, unsure if she should open it or not. Seeing no other option, she slowly reached for the door handle, and gingerly pressed down on it to open it.

She gasped upon opening the door fully, for she was unprepared for the sight that was waiting for her. A large brown wolf stood there, snarling and drooling with raised hackles. But, Elena knew this was probably no ordinary wolf. She noticed a chain was secured around its neck and was attached to one of the brick walls of the labyrinth.

Elena took an unconscious step backwards, she was too focused on the dangerous looking beast before her. Before she even realized it, the beast lunged at her, causing her to turn quickly and run, not wanting to wait around and see if the chains will hold the animal that desperately wanted to give chase.

As she ran she could hear the angry snarls of the beast as it continued to lunge for her, tugging the chains to their limits. She could hear the powerful jaws snapping together repeatedly as it bit at the air that must've held her scent. She just prayed the chains would hold the powerful beast.

Elena pushed herself as hard as she could; she needed to put as much distance between herself and that chained beast as possible. Her hair was flailing wildly behind her, her legs began to hurt, and she began to take more ragged breaths. Yet she continued on; she had to. She had to get away, she had to beat the labyrinth so her and Stefan could return home, make up, and live long happy lives together.

But nothing prepared her for the next sound she heard. It was loud, and echoed within the walls of the labyrinth. It caused her stomach to drop and her breath to catch. She heard the sound of the chain breaking…

Within the castle, Damon continued to watch Elena through the eyes of the raven, who so diligently followed her as she journeyed through his labyrinth. He was a little surprised that she didn't solve the riddle correctly, but then again, from the observations he made of her life, he gathered she wasn't all that into sports… The correct answer had been: the catcher in a baseball game…

Damon was concerned, however, when the obstacle revealed behind the doorway by her wrong answer was a chained up werewolf. He would definitely need to monitor the situation very closely. He couldn't allow his future Queen to be harmed or killed by a mangy werewolf.

He could hear that human boy raising a fuss, but he paid him no heed. Elena's life was much more valuable to him than that humans'. Not to mention, he had had enough of the boy's constant bitching about the situation. It was nice to be able to tune him out and watch Elena, even though she is completely unaware.

Damon noticed Elena run, and the werewolf lunge to the end of the chains that bound it to the wall of the labyrinth. The chains were very heavy, and made of steel. There's no way they could break, but he wasn't going to take any chances.

That's when the raven honed in on the chain around the werewolf, and Damon soon realized why. The chain was weakening, and was about to break. He had to do something, and he had to do it now. He quickly severed his connection with the raven, and was back in his throne room. He met the angry gaze of the human, which only seemed to grow confused and the concerned when he realized that the look etched on Damon's' face was one of horror.

"Damon..?"

Damon looked up at the human, and then took off toward the labyrinth at a speed too fast for the eye to catch. But before leaving, he called upon the black wolf to follow him.

Elena stopped running at that moment, and held her breath to listen for the sound of the beast. In the distance she heard the pounding of heavy paws striking the ground repeatedly; it was like a continuous rolling thunder that didn't seem to end. It was coming, and it was coming fast.

Deciding it to be better than standing around like a sitting duck, Elena continued to run. At least this way, she wouldn't go down without a fight (as in she didn't just sit and wait for the beast to find her). She ran as hard and as fast as she could, all the while hearing the thundering footfalls getting ever closer. **There's no way I'm outrunning this thing!**

Elena looked over her shoulder, and she could see the enormous brown beast closing in. Its teeth bared and prepared to attack; bloodlust was evident in its eyes. Looking over her shoulder proved to be a mistake, as she tripped over one of the tree branches she had passed over earlier. She braced herself, closing her eyes as she waited for the fatal blows to come.

But they never did…

As she looked up, she saw a black figure, bigger than the beastly wolf chasing her, leap over her and attack the oncoming beast. The two became locked in a fierce battle, with teeth flashing, the sound of their jaws snapping echoing in the labyrinth. Their snarls were deafening at such a close range. Elena continued to lay there, mesmerized by the flashes of black and brown fur.

Elena jumped when she felt something grab hold of her arm and lift her up. Fearing for her life she turned, but relaxed slightly when she was met with the icy, yet familiar face of the Vampire King. She was speechless, she never expected him to come to her rescue. But, then again, she was his intended prize…

While the two wolves were locked in a ferocious battle, Damon sped Elena to the next doorway, that way, the werewolf can't find her or get to her. She looked up to him, "Uh, I guess I owe you a 'thank you'", she said awkwardly while rubbing the back of her neck.

Damon simply shrugged, "No problem."

Then Elena remembered something… "How did you know where I was?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello! I didn't update for a bit because my elderly dog had a major seizure last week and it took me a while to recover from that. She is back home and is doing well for her age. We believe it was the heat that triggered her seizure; she does have a history of mild seizures, but it has been several years since she had any. Anyway, it just took me a bit after that to basically collect myself again and clear my mind. I couldn't focus on much for a couple days.**

 **We recently lost my great aunt, who was in hospice. My cousin, who is also in hospice, is still hanging on for now.**

 **Well, here I am once more, prepared to continue the story. But please remember, my writing thrives on your reviews! It is rather difficult for me to find motivation to continue when I get little to no reviews. It can actually make me feel a bit down when I don't get any reviews; I check my emails a lot and am always anxious to read the next reviews. I really look forward to them.**

Elena continued to stare at Damon as she awaited an answer from him; her chocolate eyes seeming to begin to freeze the longer they held contact with his cold blue gaze. Damon simply tilted his head, ignoring her question regarding his knowledge of her whereabouts. He began to take slow calculated steps in a circle around her, his hands held loosely behind he back, his gaze never leaving her.

"I don't think you should concern yourself with such trivial matters, Elena… That was your first strike… Remember, you only get two more…"

Elena huffed and crossed her arms in frustration. Damon rolled his eyes dramatically before responding, "Oh, don't act like you don't want me to win."

Elena scoffed and dropped her arms, "Like hell I want you to win!"

"Elena… Seriously, why don't you just surrender now and end the game…"

Elena looked at Damon as if he had suddenly grown a second head, "Uh, how about… NO! That would mean Stefan would die! I can't let that happen!"

Damon looked at Elena seriously then; his arms crossed over his chest and his expression stern. "You just don't get it, do you Elena? I AM going to have YOU… Whether you like it or not… YOU. ARE. MINE!"

With that, the Vampire King sped away faster than Elena could blink. She stomped her foot and huffed in frustration at his reluctance to answer her question. **Oh, the nerve of him! And I KNOW he must be spying on me somehow!**

Elena looked around for any clues as to how the Vampire King may be watching her. Seeing nothing of interest, she turned her attention to the doorway in front of her. She mouthed the riddle quietly to herself.

 _"One day a man jumped from an airplane without a parachute and suffered no injuries._ How is this possible?"

Knowing she had but two strikes left, Elena took her time to carefully think over the riddle before her _;_ she didn't want to give anymore incorrect answers. **Well, no one could jump from a plane and not get injured or killed if the plane is airborne…** Elena looked at the doorway then, "The plane was on the ground."

The doorway opened up, allowing Elena to pass through, though she did so cautiously due to her last encounter. But it wasn't long before Elena encountered a rather puzzling obstacle, "What the…? You have GOT to be kidding me?!"

Before Elena was a gaping hole, with no way around it except a rope strung from an archway that stretched between the tops of both walls of the labyrinth. Not being much of an athlete beyond her cheerleading days in high school, Elena nervously gulped as she took in the sight before her. She took in a few deep breaths, and walked back a ways to give herself a good head start.

She closed her eyes to gather herself, and focused solely on her breathing. Then, with a determined look on her face, her eyes shot open and she lunged forward. She ran with all her might, pushing herself to her limits, focusing only on the ledge ahead and the rope. She reached the ledge in no time at all and launched herself toward the rope. She extended her arms, hands open and ready. She closed her hands as soon as she felt them make contact with the rope.

Her hands burned as she slid down the rope a bit, but she held on as the rope carried her over the abyss that lies below her. Then, she let go of the rope, relying solely on the momentum from her jump to carry her the remaining distance to the other side. She reached out; arms extended and ready to grasp the edge if needed.

Elena lost her breath as she collided with the edge, her arms managing to hold onto the ledge as her legs and lower body hung over. She needed a moment to recover from having the wind knocked out of her, but she could feel the pull of gravity tugging at her as if it were a dog with a rope toy… and she was the rope toy…

"No… No… Please, no!"

Elena struggled as she felt herself sliding further past the ledge, and at that moment, she knew of only one thing that could save her… The Vampire King, Damon…

"Help! Damon!"

She began to panic as her hands slid to the edge, for she knew it wouldn't be long before they gave out on her and she would fall. Slowly her hands began to slide as well, and she began to scream and cry as she felt her grip beginning to grow weak.

"Oh, Go-… No! Please! Someone! Anybody!"

Elena closed her eyes tight and screamed at the top of her lungs as her fingers gave way and she felt herself begin to descend into the dark depths. But, suddenly, she was no longer falling. Slowly she opened her eyes and was met with the icy blue eyes of the Vampire King, who held an iron grip on her arms. Elena let out a shaky breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, and felt relief overcome her. True, she didn't like the Vampire King, but she was grateful that he wouldn't allow her to fall into the deep unknown.

"Well, look at what we have here…" the Vampire King smirked down at Elena, knowing he had full control of the situation. Elena tensed up at the way he spoke, **He's up to something… Great… Now what?**

Damon continued to stare at Elena, as if contemplating something. Elena was getting tired of just hanging there by her arms, "Um, hello? Damon? Could you please lift me back up? Like, TODAY?"

Damon simply smirked at Elena's words, completely unfazed by her attitude.

"Hmmm… If I'm not mistaken, I'm the only thing keeping you from falling into the dark depths of this hole right about now…"

Elena scrunched her face trying to figure out where he was heading with this, but she wasn't sure she knew or if she WANTED to know…

"Excuse me…?"

Damon looked at Elena longingly, and she had a feeling of where he may be heading with this now…

"Oh, Elena… Elena, Elena, Elena… Do you know what you do to me?" The Vampire King shook his head as he spoke, but continued to hold a longing look in his eyes. Elena gulped quietly, but knew he heard her by the slight smile that tugged at his lips then.

Then his face turned sour, "Oh, but that _Stefan_ … He's in my way… But not for long…"

Elena grew red then, "Don't you DARE hurt Stefan!"

Damon's deadly glare became directed towards her then, "Pardon me, _ELENA_ , but _I_ am the one holding _YOUR_ life in _MY_ hands… _LITERALLY!_ "

Elena held her tongue then, not wanting to upset him further or tempt him to act out in any way. She heard him taking deep breaths, and watched as his tense muscles began to loosen up. His icy gaze captured her chocolate eyes once more.

"How about this… You exchange blood with me, and I will…" Elena watched as Damon seemed to struggle with his next words, "I will let Stefan go…"

Elena's face brightened up at the thought of Stefan getting out of this mess, but then she remembered Damon's request.

"What do you mean, 'blood exchange'?"

Damon smirked at her then, "It's simple, really… I drink some of your blood, and you drink some of mine…"

Elena looked at him cautiously, it seemed too easy.

"And what would the consequences be…?"

"Nothing you should concern yourself with, Princess."

Elena gave him a stern look, "Don't call me that…"

Damon rolled his eyes, "So whaddya say? Blood exchange with me, or continue to play the game with Stefan's life in the balance?"

Damon smirked at her, for he could see she had already made up her mind, and he would like her answer. Elena's eyes held his, "Okay, fine… I'll do the… Blood exchange…"

Damon smiled as he lifted Elena back up to safety, but it faltered at Elena's next words.

"But, I want Stefan returned to safety BEFORE the blood exchange occurs."

Damon looked at her, and tilted his head.

"That wasn't the agreement, Princess…"

Elena stood her ground as he tried to appear menacing as he slowly circled her.

"I don't recall you saying they had to be in a specific order…"

"Yes, well, I presumed you would understand that the blood exchange MUST happen BEFORE Stefan is released… Gotta make sure you hold up your end first…"

Damon slowly approached Elena with an expression she wasn't quite sure of. She closed her eyes as he reached out to her, gently touching the side of her face with one hand and gripping her side with the other. He slowly moved his hand in a petting motion, as if to soothe her. Then his hand that had held her side moved up and then made its way down her arm, finally landing on her wrist. She felt him gently lift her arm up, then felt soft kisses on her wrist before the two pin pricks as he finally bit down. The pain was replaced by a calm and even, dare she say, sensual feeling. She opened her eyes to watch, and was fascinated at the sight and the sensations she was experiencing.

Elena watched as Damon lifted his head momentarily, then he lifted a sleeve, exposing his wrist, which he then brought up to his mouth. Elena squirmed as she heard the sickening sound of teeth breaking skin; she hesitated when he presented his bloody wrist to her. But the look in his eyes told her that if she refused, he would force her at this point. She was too far in now to back out, and he would make sure she followed through. It almost felt as if he was somehow pushing her to grab hold of his wrist and bring it to her mouth. She was surprised at the taste, which was almost sweet… Addictive even. It must have been one heck of a sight, to see the Vampire King and this human girl latched onto one another's wrists, seeming to be lost in each other and the experience.

Elena barely registered the feeling of something petting her head, and the voice calling out to her. Suddenly, she was ripped away from Damon's wrist, "I said, that's enough, Elena… Geesh…"

That was when she noticed the triumphant look in Damon's eyes, and she completely ignored her blood that surrounded his mouth and coated his chin.

"Damon… What have you done?"

Damon merely smirked at her, a triumphant look glued onto his face.

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it! Sorry it took a while to upload, but it took a while to find the will to write and then the inspiration.**

 **Please leave reviews to let me know what you think! I thrive on reviews! I read and appreciate every single one!**


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